Gibbons & Eze named our 24/25 PFA Community Champions

Announcement

28 May 2025

Fliss Gibbons and Ebere Eze’s outstanding support for the South London community has seen the Crystal Palace duo recognised with our 2024/25 PFA Community Champions awards.

The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Community Champion awards recognise those who have gone above and beyond for their club’s local communities, with Gibbons and Eze being honoured for doing so this season.

Since joining the club in 2022, Gibbons – who is retiring from professional football – has been a prominent supporter of the Palace for Life Foundation, helping to make a real difference in the lives of many young South Londoners.

As well as regularly attending sessions with the DS Eagles, the Foundation’s initiative which provides sports sessions for people with Down’s Syndrome, off her own back, Gibbons sung and starred in the video of their recent cover of Glad All Over, which highlighted GAME ON, Palace for Life’s flagship employment programme.

Gibbons also spoke at Glad All Over’s recent premiere night at Selhurst Park; took part in the Foundation’s community showcase on Match of the Day, helping to make cheesecakes and pizzas with the DS Eagles, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Chloe Arthur; and encouraged many to come along and support the Foundation’s work throughout the season.

Eze, meanwhile, also donated huge amounts of time and energy towards supporting Palace for Life’s initiatives and mission.

The England international provided a massively memorable moment for the DS Eagles, surprising the group at our Christmas shoot alongside Palace captain Marc Guéhi, and joined in Premier League Inspires sessions with the Foundation, being on a judging panel with his brother Ikechi as they listened to students pitch ideas on how to improve gender equality in sport.

Eze also spoke at length with participants of a local SEND school when they visited the Palace training ground recently, and spent a lot of time getting to know Palace for Life coach Pat Gordon, the Foundation’s Community Captain, with whom he presented an armband, trophy, pennant and signed shirt to mark Pat’s work on a range of programmes to support South Londoners over the past decade.

A Women’s and Men’s team player receive the award each year, with previous recipients including Aimee Everett, Chloe Arthur, Leigh Nicol, Amber Stobbs and Ashlee Hincks; and Chris Richards, Tyrick Mitchell, Nathan Ferguson, Joel Ward and Wilfried Zaha.

Who are Palace for Life?

Palace for Life Foundation is the official charity of Crystal Palace F.C., which has been working with the south London community for over 25 years.

The Foundation use the power of football and the Palace community to change the lives of young people across south London, particularly the most hard-to-reach and hard-to-help, working with over 15,000 people each year to inspire them to find a better path and to lead a healthier life.

The money you raise will go towards three key areas of the Foundation's work:

Keeping more young people away from knife crime, violence and anti-social behaviour
Helping more young people find career & job opportunities
Supporting more young people with their mental & physical health

Donate now

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